JAGUARS CRUISE PAST JETS: 5 THINGS

David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire

The Jaguars got 4-4 on the season and are in control of their own destiny. 

BY JORDAN DE LUGO

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The Jaguars cruised past the Jets on Sunday in a game that was never very close. The Jaguars dominated the stat sheet and won by a final score of 29-15. 

Here are five things to remember. 

Sacksonville is officially back.

We've seen glimpses of Sacksonville this season. With Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, and Josh Allen rounding into form, the Jaguars boast one of the most fearsome pass rushes in the NFL right now. Against the Jets, the team added eight sacks to get their season total to 29, the third-most in all of football. Josh Allen and Yannick Ngakoue got two sacks each, while Calais Campbell picker up 1.5. Dawuane Smoot, Abry Jones, and Ronnie Harrison all joined in on the sack party as well. If this onslaught of pressure continues, the Jaguars could get on a roll in the coming weeks. 

Gardner Minshew is a shoo-in for ROTW again.

Sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew has won Rookie of the Week five times this year. He's likely to add another notch to his belt after his performance against the Jets. Minshew was nearly flawless. He completed 22/34 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. He's now thrown 13 touchdown passes to just two interceptions and is on pace for nearly 4,000 yards passing. Look for the kid to pick up his sixth ROTW award later in the week. But the real question is: Who's the Jaguars' starter come week 11?

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It's time to show Tre Herndon some respect.

Over the first few weeks of Tre Herndon being thrust into the starting lineup, he struggled to slow down opposing receivers. But his performance against the Jets was a thing of beauty. He picked up the first and second interceptions of his young career on Sunday and added three tackles. Over the last three weeks, despite still getting picked on, Herndon has stood his ground and been highly effective in coverage. 

The Jaguars' next three games will determine their fate.

The Jaguars travel to London this week to take on the Texans. After that, they get their bye week and then have two straight road games against the Colts and Titans. Three straight division games in the middle of the season will make or break this team. If the Jaguars can pick up two wins in that stretch, they'll still be in good shape. That would get them to 6-5 and in a position to compete for a playoff spot. Three wins, and they're golden. 7-4 would've felt impossible just two weeks ago, but it's a legit possibility. But if the Jaguars lose two or more of the next three, they can all but kiss the playoffs goodbye. Two losses would put them at 5-6 and in the unenviable position of needing to win out.

Doug Marrone and the coaching staff deserve a lot of credit. 

Despite losing their starting QB in week one and Jalen Ramsey going awol, the Jaguars' coaching staff was able to keep this ship afloat. And since Jalen Ramsey was traded, the locker room has become an even closer group. Players are having fun and playing for each other. AJ Bouye talked after the game about how the vibe is just different:

"That's definitely what it felt like," said Bouye. "We were talking about it all week – you know, me, [LB Myles Jack], some of the other guys, just the vibe, the energy these past two weeks just feel way different. And we're appreciative of that – the guys, the coaches, the players just buy in and keep going."

With two straight wins and an impending trip to London, the Jaguars are sitting in a great spot at 4-4. Stay tuned for more
coverage throughout the week.  

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